TMC is an independent, primarily volunteer organization that relies on ad revenue to cover its operating costs. Please consider whitelisting TMC on your ad blocker and becoming a Supporting Member. For more info: Support TMC

Vibration in steering wheel using AutoPilot

When we all got the new Autopilot update, I noticed a new vibrating noise that I hadn't heard before.

At first, I thought it was just the new compressor cycle settings in the A/C.
However, now that I've been using AutoPilot more and driving around more I noticed that it is actually the steering wheel that is vibrating when it is in autopilot.

This sound isn't as intense as when the lane departure warning kicks in, and it is also frequently present when i'm directly in the middle of the lane.

My first thought is that the system is vibrating the wheel so it can detect if my hand is on the wheel?

When we all got the new Autopilot update, I noticed a new vibrating noise that I hadn't heard before.

At first, I thought it was just the new compressor cycle settings in the A/C.
However, now that I've been using AutoPilot more and driving around more I noticed that it is actually the steering wheel that is vibrating when it is in autopilot.

This sound isn't as intense as when the lane departure warning kicks in, and it is also frequently present when i'm directly in the middle of the lane.

My first thought is that the system is vibrating the wheel so it can detect if my hand is on the wheel?

Not sure if other folks are experiencing this or if it is just me.

Click to expand...

It's not just you. When I brought the same thing up on (I think) the 7.0 thread a while ago, a number of people chimed in with "me too". I don't think it's vibrating the wheel, I think the vibration is in the driveline or more accurately, the actual steering (not just the wheel, but the wheels, as it were). I only notice it when the car is going straight, and I suspect it's hunting back and forth -- repeated back-and-forth overcorrections at high frequency, that average out to "straight". I only notice it at low speeds (by which I mean "slower than highway").

I've reported it through the "bug report" voice command in the car, I encourage others to do so as well.

They asked me to try to (safely) grab a video shot when it happened so they could reference the timeline in the vehicle logs. It does require certain conditions to trigger in my case ... setting Autopilot at highway speed and then slowing to 25-50MPH following another vehicle. It sounds a little like the lane departure warning only softer but with a fair bit of wheel shake.

They noted the replacement of the steering rack in the other threads case, but also noted that replacing the steering rack with a new unit could have fixed the problem if the steering rack firmware had been updated. I updated to 2.77 today, but did not have a chance to see if it made any difference.

I'm not sure if my vibration is the same as it starts at about 70mph and is worse at around 75mph. If I have autopilot turned on then the steering wheel left buttons for media forward and back begin to rattle really loud. I'm going to have to contact service center because my steering has also starting to make knocks and groans while operating at low speeds.

Meta

Do you value your experience at TMC? Consider becoming a Supporting Member of Tesla Motors Club. As a thank you for your contribution, you'll get nearly no ads in the Community and Groups sections. Additional perks are available depending on the level of contribution. Please visit the Account Upgrades page for more details.